Courier Friends to Follow

Hitting the wrong ball warrants a two-stroke penalty

Graham Lewis

Question: Peter and Ralph are playing in their men’s association stroke play event. On the sixth hole, both players hit their drives into the right rough. Peter proceeds to hit what he believes is his ball. Ralph then does the same. Before hitting their next shot, Ralph tells Peter that they have hit each other’s balls. How do they proceed?Answer: Both players must return to the spot where they hit the wrong ball and place their respective balls as near as possible to the spot from which the wrong ball was played. They then would hit the correct ball, with each player receiving a two-stroke penalty. Tip of the day: Mark your ball with a special marking and make sure it is your ball before hitting your shot. If you can’t see for sure that it is your ball, you can mark the ball and then lift or turn it to see if it is yours. Replace the ball in the exact spot.As always, have fun playing and practicing the game of golf. Email me at grahamgolf@darientel.net and ask about continuous learning sessions.